Chapter 10 Waking Up "Then let this servant try calling a few more times?" Liu Li's eyes...

"Then let this servant try calling a few more times?" Liu Li asked tentatively, his eyes gleaming.

The man glanced at the plump little carp that had already sunk into the water, and nodded slightly: "Please go ahead, Eunuch Liu."

Jiang Zhuoying wished she could sink to the bottom of the water; she felt she had acted entirely out of the blue.

I need to be on my guard now, and I can't afford to give anything away that might arouse suspicion.

Liu Li cleared her throat a few times and called softly, "Zhuozhuo?"

Jiang Zhuoying ignored him and continued swimming further and further away from the bottom of the pool.

"Blazing...blazing, blazing?"

Liu Li called out several times, but still received no response from the plump, fiery red carp.

"Ahem." He stood up awkwardly. "It seems that what happened just now was a coincidence."

"Um."

Qi Fan gave Chu Yixin a look, and the latter quickly gathered up the food box: "Eunuch Liu, shall we go? We should rest early today, as tomorrow's matters cannot be delayed!"

Liu Li nodded, then glanced back at the red carp in the pond, thinking that she must have been overthinking things, before leaving with Chu Yixin.

*

The next morning.

Before dawn, Jiang Zhuoying heard the noisy and bustling sounds from the shore.

She surfaced, and the people on the shore were busy, plus it was dark, so no one noticed her for a moment.

"When you feed Zhuozhuo later, you need to use that porcelain spoon to feed it. Remember that!"

"Don't worry, Eunuch Chu, I will remember this and will take good care of Zhuozhuo."

Chu Yixin nodded: "Yes, His Highness will not return until tonight. Things have not been peaceful lately, so you will stay here and keep an eye on Zhuozhuo..."

Jiang Zhuoying swayed her tail fin, as if Big Ice Shard was about to go out?

She thought for a moment and realized that the emperor's personal eunuch had come here yesterday.

As expected, today is the day to pay respects to the late Consort Wan.

Shortly after, Qi Fan arrived at the poolside. After making eye contact with her, he turned and left with his men without pausing.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Did you come all this way just to make eye contact with her?

Silence quickly returned to the courtyard.

Jiang Zhuoying slowly sank to the bottom of the water, preparing to take another nap.

When she regained consciousness, it was already broad daylight.

As soon as the chubby little carp surfaced, the people sitting upright on the shore spotted it.

"Is Zhuozhuo hungry? I'll go to the kitchen to get you some food right away."

Before Jiang Zhuoying could even see his face clearly, the servant-looking man had already turned and hurried towards the kitchen.

Alright, it's not impossible to have a meal now.

Jiang Zhuoying leisurely swam around the edge of the pond, while waiting for the servant to bring her her meal.

A few breaths later, the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer could be heard from the shore.

Jiang Zhuoying tilted her head back and surfaced, her pectoral and caudal fins thrashing about underwater...

She saw with her own eyes the servant open the food box, take out a porcelain bowl, and then splatter the bowl full of crab meat into the pool.

Jiang Zhuoying: "?"

Didn't the Second Prince's personal eunuch just give him some instructions?

You have to use a small porcelain spoon to feed her!

"Hurry up and use it, little one! This crab meat is so fragrant, use as much as you can!"

The man urged impatiently, his face filled with a strange grin.

Jiang Zhuoying was startled and immediately sank down. After reaching the bottom, she turned and swam deep into the lotus pod, wanting to get away from the person on the shore.

This was not the servant from before; not only was the way she was addressed, but even the tone of her voice was different.

This person is definitely trying to harm her! She'd better stay away from him...

Don't fall for his tricks!

Seeing the fiery red carp swam away with a "whoosh" like an arrow released from a bow, the man on the shore immediately frowned.

Alright, he poured in a full bowl of crab meat, enough for the red carp to eat when it was hungry.

Jiang Zhuoying hid deep within the lotus pods, peering towards the shore, and witnessed firsthand the people on the bank picking up food boxes and then hurriedly turning away...

The crab meat in the water is definitely no longer usable, but will it harm her health if it dissolves in the water?

Jiang Zhuoying swam further away from the shore, planning how she would get out of the pool once the large ice shard returned.

It's fine for him to stay in the jar, and then put the jar in his room!

In this way, she could hear all his conversations with others.

...

Not long after the servant who brought her the crab meat left, the person who had said he was going to fetch her food returned.

Jiang Zhuoying was still shaken and saw danger everywhere; she dared not eat the food that man had brought.

Let's wait until the Second Prince returns before making any further plans...

She could endure not eating for a day.

Her hunger strike greatly worried the people on the shore, who called out to her for a long time.

He called out "Zhuozhuo" again and again, until his voice became hoarse, but the red carp in the pond still did not respond.

Jiang Zhuoying felt a lot of guilt. She was only trying to save her own life and didn't mean to deliberately torment him.

Since she can't speak, it's better to just tell him directly...

Half a day passed in this way. At lunchtime, not only the servant who was specifically guarding her, but even the cooks and servants from the kitchen gathered by the pool.

The group discussed solutions together.

Having no other choice, Jiang Zhuoying surfaced briefly and became quite active.

At first glance, you can tell she's very lively and energetic, looking like she's had enough to eat and drink and has nothing to do.

The crowd on the shore breathed a sigh of relief...

"Look, Zhuozhuo was perfectly healthy back then. Maybe His Highness fed her too much last night?"

"Yes, just sit here and it will float to the surface when it gets hungry. Don't worry anymore."

...

Jiang Zhuoying nestled at the bottom of the pool, she had never longed for the Second Prince to return so soon.

Feeling drowsy in the afternoon, and having nothing else to do, she simply lay down on the smooth, sunken stone at the bottom of the pool and fell asleep.

*

"When will the girl wake up? She's been unconscious for almost half a month!"

Jiang Zhuoying slowly opened her eyes. She hadn't heard those words clearly, but they sounded like Xiangyue's voice.

"Don't worry, according to that Doctor Yu, the girl doesn't have smallpox and should wake up soon."

"How could I not be anxious! This girl is my life. If anything happens to her, how can I go on living..."

As Xiangyue spoke, she began to wipe away tears.

Jiang Zhuoying was trembling with shock. Had she really come back like this?

"Xiangyue?"

As soon as she spoke, she suddenly realized that her voice was extremely hoarse, almost lost, and almost unbearable to listen to.

"girl?"

Xiangyue suddenly turned around, pulled back the bed curtains, her pupils contracted sharply, and she abruptly knelt before the bed: "Miss, you're finally awake! This servant has been waiting for you for so long!"

She knelt by the bed, holding Jiang Zhuoying's hand, and cried bitterly, "Miss, you've been unconscious for half a month! Your servant and Xiangxing were so worried!"

Jiang Zhuoying managed to say with difficulty, "Alright, I'm awake now, aren't I?"

After saying that, she looked at Xiangxing kneeling behind Xiangyue and said, "Stop crying. I, cough cough, have something to ask you."

Xiangxing immediately pulled Xiangyue to her feet: "Alright, Miss has just woken up and is still weak. Quickly get yourself ready and go make her a cup of tea."

Xiangyue nodded, wiping away her tears, and hurried outside.

Xiangxing then bent down and whispered softly in Jiang Zhuoying's ear, "Does Miss have something to tell me?"

Jiang Zhuoying nodded: "Help me up."

Xiangxing supported her arm: "Don't worry, young lady, I'll go find a pillow right away."

She hurried along and quickly retrieved a pillow and a soft backrest from the daybed beside her. She then helped Jiang Zhuoying sit up and lean against the pillow behind her.

Xiangyue also rushed over with a teacup in her hand, her eyes red and swollen: "This servant will feed you, the water temperature is just right."

Jiang Zhuoying nodded slightly and swallowed the warm water sip by sip.

Her dry, sore throat felt much better after being moistened by the warm water. She coughed lightly twice before speaking slowly.

Why did I suddenly faint?

Xiangyue turned around and exchanged a glance with Xiangxing. She took a few steps back and asked Xiangxing to come forward and report.

The latter leaned closer and recounted in detail what had happened in the past few days…

After Xiangyue finished speaking, Jiang Zhuoying weakly half-closed her eyes and asked, "So, I've been poisoned. Are there any other people in this manor who have the same symptoms?"

“Miss, Xiao Cui from the laundry is in the same situation as you, but she woke up last night and is fine now.”

Jiang Zhuoying nodded slightly, which matched her previous guess.

Her face was pale, but her brows furrowed as she thought of something else.

I suddenly returned here from Zhuozhuo's body, and I wonder what happened to the real Zhuozhuo?

The crab meat that servant fed her must be problematic; what if Zhuozhuo accidentally swallowed it...?

She suddenly looked up: "Xiangxing, the Doctor Yu you just mentioned, is he one of the Second Prince's men?"

Xiangxing nodded, then glanced at Xiangyue: "It was because Xiangyue knows a little martial arts that she managed to escape and plead with the Second Prince for the young lady."

Jiang Zhuoying was deeply moved. She remembered every word Xiangyue had said to Qi Fan.

She reached out and took Xiangyue's hand: "Good Xiangyue, how did you find out where the Second Prince lives?"

“Miss, the Second Prince’s villa is only an incense stick’s worth of carriage ride from our estate. It’s just that you’ve been out of touch with the world these past few years and haven’t noticed it.”

"As for the osmanthus grove, you've been there before, but it's all on the outskirts, and there are guards inside, so we've never been able to get in."

Jiang Zhuoying was stunned. Yes, she remembered!

She hadn't connected the dots for a moment, but it turned out that the osmanthus grove she had visited was guarded by the Second Prince.

At this moment, Xiangxing suddenly interjected, "Miss, you and Xiangyue chat for a while, I'll go and invite Doctor Yu."

He once said that if you woke up, he would have to come and take your pulse again.

...

After Xiangxing left, Xiangyue hurriedly lowered the bed curtains again: "This servant didn't let Doctor Yu see your face. This servant knows that you like to look pretty, so I didn't let anyone see your sick appearance."

"And that Doctor Yu is also quite capable. He said that all he needs to do is take the pulse and listen to the maids' descriptions."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying felt a pang of anxiety. Smallpox?

If there is such a suspicion, then wouldn't she already have blisters on her body?

She suddenly tugged at Xiangyue's sleeve: "Quickly bring me the bronze mirror so I can take a look."